A host of businesses from across the globe assembled this week for Gulfood Manufacturing and ISM Middle East events, which were re-united to strong effect at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Editor Neill Barston offers an exclusive video interview with the major trade shows’ organisers, as well as speaking to  companies exhibiting at this year’s event, including Cargill, BCH, Bühler group, US-headquartered Trolli, and India’s Shivay confectionery, to gain a key overview of this year’s major events which spanned equipment, ingredients and finished product ranges.

As our interviews reveal, companies overcame wider geopolitical challenges to help deliver a notable level of success for the two expos, which came together again as a one-off, with the events due to be staged separately again from 2027, amid further expansion of both events.

See our subsequent edition of Confectionery Production magazine for a full review of these core events.